Majefty taking the premifes into confideration, and con-
**■ ceiving no conjuncture fo proper for an enterprize of this
“ nature, as a time o f profound peace, which his kingdoms
“ at prefent happily enjoy, has thought fit that it ihould
“ now be undertaken.”
The Dolphin was a man o f war o f the fixth rate, mounting
twenty-four guns: her complement was tyo men, with three
Lieutenants, and thirty-feven petty officers.
The Tamar was a floop, mounting fixteen gu n s : her complement
was ninety men, with three Lieutenants, and two
and twenty petty officers, and the command of her was
given to Gaptain Mouat.
Commodore Byron returned in the month o f May in the
year i y66, and in the month ofAuguft following, the Dolphin
was again fent out, under the command o f Captain Wallis,
with the Swallow, commanded by Captain Carteret, in pro*,
fecution of the fame general defign o f making difcoveries in
■ the fouthern hemifphere. The equipment o f the Dolphin
was the fame as before. The Swallow was a floop mountin
g fourteen guns; her complement was ninety men, with
one Lieutenant, and twenty-two petty officers.
Thefe veflels proceeded together till they came within
fight o f the South Sea, at the weftern entrance o f the Straight
<of Magellan, and from thence returned by different routs to
England.
In the latter part o f the year 1767, it Was tefolved, by the
Royal Society, that it would be proper to fend perfons into
fome part of the South Sea to obferve a tranfit o f the planet
Venus over the fun’s difk, which, according to aflrono-
mical calculation, would happen in the year 1769; and that
the iflands called Marquefas de Mendoza, or thofe o f Rotterdam
dam or Amfterdam, were the propereft places then known for
making fuch obfervation.
In confequence o f thefe refolutiqns, it was recommended
to his Majefty, in a memorial from the Society, dated February
1768, that he would be pleafed to order fuch an obfervation
to be made ;. upon which his Majefty fignified to the
Lords Commiffioners of the Admiralty his pleafure that a ihip-
fhould be provided to carry fuch obfervers as the Society
Ihould think fit to the South Seas;, andin the beginning o f
April following, the Society received a letter from the Secretary
of the Admiralty, informing them that a bark o f three
hundred and feventy tons had been taken up for that purpofe.
This veflel was called the Endeavour, and the command o f her
given to Lieutenant James Cook, a gentleman o f undoubted,
abilities in aftronomy and navigation, who was foon after,.
by the Royal Society, appointed, with Mr. Charles Green, a
gentleman who had long been affiftant to Dr. Bradley at the
Royal Obfervatory at Greenwich, to obferve the tranfit.
While this- veflel was- getting ready for her expedition,.
Captain Wallis returned; and it having been recommended
to him by Lord Morton, when he went out, to fix on a
proper place for this aftronomical obfervation, he, by letter,.,
dated on board the Dolphin; the ifth o f May 1768, the clay
before he landed at Haftings, mentioned Port Royal harbour,
in an ifland, which he. had difeovered, then called George’s-.
Ifland, and fince Otahei tethe Royah Society therefore, ,by
letter, dated the beginning, of June, in anfwer to an applica—
tion from the Admiralty, to be informed whither they wouldi
have their obfervers fent, made choice of that place.
The Endeavour had been built for- the coal trade, and a,,
veflel o f that conftrucftion was preferred for many reafons, ,
particularly be.caule.Ihe was what, the, failor&call.a goodtfeaa
boat;